Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's My Favorite Time Of Year

It's like a sweet surprise every spring.  The orange groves around my house start popping out orange blossoms and their intoxicating perfume fills the air.  I look forward to the tiny white flowers every year.  As a kid I grew up surrounded by orange groves and the smell of orange blossoms fills my childhood memories.  I recall one day lying on my bed writing a love letter (back before email).  It was my senior year of high school and things were perfect in my life.  It was a beautiful 80 degrees outside and the sun was beginning to set.  My windows were open and the sprinklers were on outside.  A cool breeze over me and it was filled with the perfume of sweet orange blossoms.  It was the best feeling.

Now I try to bring them inside with me whenever I see them.  They never last long but I put them in my hair so I can smell them all day.  One night before my husband and I were married I pulled back my covers to find he had picked a bunch of orange blossoms and scattered them in my sheets.  I slept so well that night.

They are more than a flower to me...they return me memories and provide reassurance that I am home.  I will never grow tired of taking time to smell my favorite flower, even if it's only for a month or two out of the year.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow I am SO jealous! I love the smell of orange blossoms but alas, I live nowhere near a citrus grove :(

DoulaMomma said...

sadly I don't think I've ever been to an orange grove or smelled real orange blossoms but they sure are beautiful in your photo!

Tofugirl27 said...

Ahhh.....I do miss that smell. We lived near and played in the orange groves...sweet memeories.